Artist Feature and Interview: thehartless

Canipulate's first contest was a set stock challenge, in which the artists needed to include two stock pieces (fav.me/d1cnwhx and fav.me/d9sm57f) in their completed work. After the top 3 were put to a vote, the winning submission was:

Into the Storm by thehartless
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laylalame is a multitalented artist - they not only excel at photomanipulation, but also digital painting and HTML coding! Check out a few amazing highlights from their gallery.

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We asked laylalame if they would be up for a short interview, to give us a peak into how they work, what inspires them, and where they want to go from here.

How long have you been manipulating?
I've been manipulating for about 3 - 4 years now, maybe when I was 15 or 16 years old.

What got you started?
One of my first role-playing friends, Savannah had introduced me to deviant-art. She had showed me a lot of the artwork produced by people like Nanarc, xXNamaste, and ghostlyspirit and I was completely inspired to get on their playing field. Since then I worked really really hard to try and improve in my artwork so that I may be as good as them. I'm not necessarily sure I'm there yet! There's always room for improvement.

What are your tools of the trade?
I first started off with one of the old Wacom Bamboo tablets, until about a year ago when I was hired as a digital artist for a local jewelry store. Since then I have upgraded to a Wacom Cintiq Companion. The program I use is strictly Adobe products as that's all I've really learned how to use and I'm afraid to dabble and anything else.

Are there any artists - or other resources - that inspire you?
I probably admire way too many artists to list, but some of the few are xXNamaste, Nanarc, ghostlyspirit, Keprion, kepperoni, NukeRooster, kalambo, saltwaterhermit, lunarblues, Lunarlueur, mockingale, Aivoree, Mezamero, redemptari, vethysnia, SunDier, Remarin, Lexxcellent...

... and just so much many others, I wish I could list them all.

What do you feel is your greatest asset? What about your greatest weakness?
My greatest weakness... well there's a lot. Probably just finding a steady rhythm for producing artwork. Self Discipline. Creating work in a timely manner. Pushing myself to continue practicing and practicing despite the hard times. And to absolutely STOP staring at my work so long to where I see every flaw. A lot. ... And maybe being a little bit more confident with my work... seeing every good aspect rather than every flaw.

As for what my greatest asset would be... maybe a good understanding of lighting/shadows. It's kind of been a strong point for me for a long time that most people can distinguish from the others. I'm also always happy how I do critters eyeballs, its one of my favorite things to do in any form of art.

When you're arting, do you usually have 'background noise?' (music, youtube, tv show, etc) If so, what's your go to?
Sometimes, it depends. Lately I've been kind of arting in silence, but I find if I'm not listening to music I may stray with the "theme" I'm looking to create in the image. Music can definitely help artists in creating moods for something specific they have in mind and I highly recommend it.

Do you have any goals in regards to your art?
Yes definitely!! I'm really trying to dabble into drawings/paintings more than just photo-manipulations. I like doing photo-manipulation, but I feel in a comfortable place with them. I think the artwork I do is at an acceptable quality that I can be proud of. Although there is definitely need for improvement! ... Like trying to take subjects that aren't canines for once.

Lastly - any tips/tricks for other artists?
It's probably going to sound cliche, but I'd probably tell all the aspiring artists out there to never give up. Always try their hardest and if they get knocked on their ass, to get back up and try, try again. It can be discouraging when something may not go the direction you want it to, but it's never the end. Anyone can be an artist. Anyone can do anything they want to do, as long as they try hard enough. It just takes dedication.

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So, if you haven't already, be sure to head over to laylalame' page and hit that watch button to see all of their future work!
If you want more information about their commissions, check out the journal here: fav.me/dag8ozg

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